Does Divvy Deserve Another Chance?

MIND THE RUCK | Madness or just common sense? Rob debates the merits of a second term in charge for Peter "Divvy" de Villiers

At first sight of this heading, one might leap to the mighty conclusion that I have been hanging out with Charlie Sheen and been “winning” a bit too much than my body should allow. But alas, sorry to disappoint you all. There is method to my supposed insanity, even if it is only temporary.

Peter de Villiers, the Bok coach since January 2008, has a contract which runs until December 31st this year. It is widely expected that he will conclude his duties on this day and a successor will be named soon thereafter. Given his inconsistent results over 4 seasons at the helm, and a less than acceptable aptitude in front of the media, it seems SARU has tired of having to come to the defence of its puppet and will use the end of the contract to part ways with the eccentric coach.

But is this not throwing the baby out with the bath water? Given the hire-and-fire history of previous Bok coaches, should we not want SARU to invest in the 4 years of experience he has accumulated, thereby having some consistency? Free of the stranglehold that his senior players had over him, could we not reasonably expect him to stamp his own authority over a new-look Bok squad and make a success of it?

Admittedly, he was thrust into a job for which he knew he wasn’t the best candidate, and having coached the Bok U21s, where defences are not as tight, he naively attempted to employ an expansive style with the seniors. It backfired, and the old guard of the team saved his bacon by reverting to the previous regime’s structures, and results improved. It’s something that most people in his position would have done.

Perhaps by giving Divvy another chance, we might see the real coach in him come out. A change in sub-management is also required, with Dick Muir clearly out of his depth and Gary Gold more suited to a technical guru role. Divvy would also gain another opportunity to right the wrongs, if he so chooses.

While Heyneke Meyer still remains my firm favourite to be the next man in charge, Divvy’s case is worth considering, given the number of candidates who have not applied for (or distanced themselves from) the job. What have we got to lose?

On a side note, I’m very distressed to learn of the passing of former Bok flank Solly Tyibilika in Cape Town last night. For someone so young (32) to be brutally and innocently murdered without reason is wholly unacceptable. It is a tragic story of a talented man who became the first black player to score a try on debut for the Boks (versus Scotland in 2004), but fell foul of administrators frequently for disciplinary reasons, most probably because of his poor treatment. Former Bok coach Jake White controversially picked him ahead of Luke Watson back in 2006, against the fans’ wishes, but he never let the Boks down. RIP Solly.